Godin

March 30 at 7:30 pm

Spadina Theatre

Movie Thursday -

Godin, documentary of the National Film Board of Canada, presented by Sean Mills.

Directed by Simon Beaulieu, 2013 (1h15).

Documentary focusing on Gérald Godin, Quebec poet and political figure (1938-1994). Gérald Godin’s work and life were strongly influenced by his deep-rooted commitment to Quebec. Whether his political and literary contributions to Quebec’s cultural heritage were forgotten or simply unknown, they nevertheless remain incredibly valuable. During his life, he was a key figure of the Quebec poetry scene, and he also actively participated in the important socio-political upheavals of the past fifty years. GODIN, the film, is built on archives and interviews that trace back the unique life of this fighter, from his childhood in Trois-Rivieres to his life in Montreal, from the 1960s to the 1995 Referendum, including the prisons of the October 1970 Crisis and the songs of his long-time partner, Pauline Julien. To tell Gérald Godin’s life is to tell the universal story of a man, in its most touching aspect, by visiting the poetic, the political, the human drama and the celebration of a life using Quebec’s history as a background. GODIN, the film, is full of poetry and lets Gérald’s words do the talking, as well as Pauline Julien’s exceptional voice and songs. A touching portrait of the one we called the deputy-poet. A cinematographic quilt of modern Quebec, woven using an exceptional array of archives. With the participation of Denys Arcand, Gaëtan Dostie, Jacques Elliott, André Gervais, Jacques Godbout, Guy Godin, Jacques Parizeau, Malcolm Reid, Brigitte Sauriol and Joseph Xénopoulos. Directed by Simon Beaulieu. Produced by Marc-André Faucher and Benjamin Hogue.

Biography Simon Beaulieu:

After studying Film at the Université de Montréal (1999-2002), Simon Beaulieu started directing his first documentary about artist Serge Lemoyne, a project on which he worked for three years. Lemoyne (2005), the movie, was well-received by critics and their appreciation was supported by numerous film festival selections, in Quebec and overseas. Working as a film critic for the magazine Séquences from 2002 to 2006, he covered many local film festivals.

Drawing from his passion for Quebec culture, as it is perceived in its political and artistic dimensions, in 2006 he started researching, scripting and directing the movie GODIN, a feature documentary about Gérald Godin, the poet and political figure.